August 4 – Problems Are Opportunities

by Dr Ron Stewart

Today is the birthday of Glenn Cunningham, one of the first American track athletes to set a world record for running a mile. That may not sound like such a great accomplishment to us, but when Cunningham was a young boy, his legs were badly burned when a container of kerosene exploded next to him. Doctors confined him to bed rest for many weeks, not knowing if he would regain full use of his legs. His family became his caregivers while his legs healed.

Before his accident, Cunningham had been known as a fast runner. After his recovery, he continued in athletics with some restrictions. In high school, his coach said, “Glenn’s great strength together with his courage and strong heart and lungs … make up for his lack of normal legs.”

He continued his training, and by the time he enrolled in college he had more than recovered. He earned the nickname “Kansas Ironman” because of his endurance and speed, and he became famous for taking first place in so many world races. After graduating from college, he continued to set records. When he retired from running, he became a rancher and devoted much of his time to helping local youth.

Cunningham could have given up on running after his accident, but he didn’t. When he did retire, he devoted time and effort to helping young people, just as he had been helped when he was young by his family, coaches, teachers, and others.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (II Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV).

August 3 – Productive After Age 65

by Dr Ron Stewart

On this day in 1970, Maggie Kuhn celebrated her 65th birthday. It was also retirement day, and she wasn’t ready to retire from her executive position in the national office of the Presbyterian Church. Kuhn and some of her friends who had been forced to retire at 65 formed the new organization that was to become the Gray Panthers. They thought people over 65 still had a lot to contribute to society. They were eventually able to help banish mandatory retirement from many organiza­tions.

Caleb would definitely have agreed with her. When he was 40 years old, he went as a spy into the Promised Land and, in spite of the obstacles, believed that God would give the Israelites the land. In Joshua 14:10-12 (KJV), he says, “And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while [the children of] Israel wandered in the wilder­ness: and now, lo, I [am] this day fourscore and five [85] years old. As yet I [am as] strong this day as I [was] in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength [was] then, even so [is] my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims [were] there, and [that] the cities [were] great [and] fenced: if so be the Lord [will be] with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.”

David also pleaded for a productive old age in Psalms 71:18 (KJV), “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto [this] generation, [and] thy power to every one [that] is to come.”

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward [man] is being renewed day by day” (II Corinthians 4:16 NKJV).

August 2 – A Dream Challenge

by Dr Ron Stewart

Today is the anniversary of the day Albert Einstein sent a world-changing letter to U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939.

In his letter, Einstein warned the president of the threat of the atomic bomb: “… it is conceivable—though much less certain—that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air.”

Einstein’s signed letter, which was ghost-written by Leo Szilard, marked the beginning of atomic weaponry. Six years and four days later, the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima to bring about the end of World War II. Although the effect of the bomb was devastating, it is said to have saved millions of lives by bringing the war more speedily to an end.

Even though Einstein did not directly invent the atomic bomb, his ability and willingness helped someone else’s idea become reality. Before the bomb was created, it was invented in someone’s mind.

Every great creation began as an idea before it could become a reality. The Bible says that God gave dreams to Joseph and others. What dreams has he given to you? What challenges has he placed in your mind as a dream to help you do something to make the world a better place? What is God’s dream for your life? “Your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28b KJV).

August 1 – Garbage In Garbage Out

by Dr Ron Stewart

Today is the anniversary celebration for MTV (Music Television Video), which was launched on this day in 1981. We all love music. Perhaps you or your children are part of the MTV generation. MTV’s quick-cut editing style infused with rock music spurred shows such as “Miami Vice” to follow its style and become hits.

Music can have a powerful influence on young people, as MTV has shown. In 1992, MTV influenced its audience with its “Rock the Vote” campaign, which included a live interview with U.S. presidential candidate Bill Clinton. Some think that his willingness to connect to the younger voters through the music channel contributed to his winning the election.

MTV also has had a huge effect on families through the lifestyle it promotes, which is basically anti-Christian. By listening to music that emphasizes a lifestyle that is con­demned by God’s word, many Christian young people are desensitized to sin. These young people lose their Christian instinct to be offended by ungodly actions. Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:8 (NIV) to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.”

The warning to those enticed by MTV and other forms of ungodly entertainment is clear: if you put garbage into your mind, you will get garbage out of your mind. If you want to have a life filled with Godly things, then you must fill your mind with Godly things. When watching television tonight, remember the warning, “Garbage in equals garbage out.”

“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corin­thians 10:5 KJV).

July 31 – Expect A Miracle

by Dr Ron Stewart

On this day in 1790, the United States Patent Office was opened, and the first patent that the office awarded was to Samuel Hopkins for his method of making potash, a substance used in making soap.

A little over a hundred years later, a man was put in charge of the Patent Office who, in hindsight, looks a little short-sighted. In 1899, Patent Office Director Charles Duell recommended that Congress disband the Patent Office because “everything that can be invented has been invented.”

He wasn’t able to see a future with computers, microwave ovens, television, video cameras, nuclear energy, or jet airplanes.

Sometimes we are tempted to be like Charles Duell in our lives. We look at where we are in our circumstances and pessimistically state, “Everything that can be done to change my situation has been done. Nothing will ever change for me. I will have to live like this the rest of my life.”

If you are tempted to give up today, remember that even though we live in a world that is constantly changing, we serve an unchanging God. As the Bible tells us in the thir­teenth chapter of Hebrews, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. That means that God is still able to perform miracles today. In fact, He has the patent on miracles.

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples” (Psalm 77:14 NIV).

Sometimes what we make of a circumstance in life is all in how we view it. Every miracle recorded in the Bible began with a problem. So if you have a problem in your life, you are in miracle territory.

July 30 – Christian Motto

by Dr Ron Stewart

On this day in 1956, the U.S. Congress adopted “In God We Trust” as our national motto. The United States had been using the phrase since the Civil War when Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase requested Congress to legislate that the phrase be placed on the two-cent coin.

In 1956, our nation was still recovering from the Korean War and had not yet stopped hurting from World War II, but the golden years of the 1950s convinced people that God was still going to bless America and that we as a people needed to declare our trust in Him.

The Bible commands, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV).

What are you trusting in today — your job, your family, your skills, or your God? “In God We Trust” is not merely a national motto: It’s the secret of America’s success and is the only way to develop the abundant life that Jesus promised to those who put their faith in Him.

• In what area of your life is your trust in God decreasing? Say a prayer today asking God to help you fully put your trust in Him and Him alone.

July 29 – Little Things Can Have Major Impact

by Dr Ron Stewart

On this day in 1945, the American cruiser ship named the Indianapolis was sunk on its way to Okinawa by a Japanese torpedo.

The interesting thing about the Indianapolis is that it had just delivered the first atomic bomb to Tinian Island.

What would have happened if the ship had been sunk on its way to Tinian Island with the atomic bomb still on board, instead of on its way from the island? How would it have changed the way the war ended?

All of us can recall what seemed like minor circumstances in our lives that had major impacts. The true course of life is made up of a myriad of minor events that together shape the pathway we follow. That’s why we should live every day with the Lord, seeking his leadership in every circumstance, no matter how small or trivial. As the Bible tells us in I Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV), we need to “pray continually.”

We need guidance on the little things in life as much as the momentous decisions that come along, because the small decisions you make today will produce the big things you will face tomorrow. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1 NIV).

❖ Today, pray to God for guidance for each decision you make, however small or insignificant it seems. At the end of the day, assess the outcome.

July 28 – The Secret To Everything

by Dr Ron Stewart

On this day in 1914, Austria declared war on Serbia, signaling the beginning of World War I.

The 20th century initially began with the promise that modem science was going to usher in a utopian society. Disease, poverty, and war would be eliminated. But by 1914, the dream of a new society was fading fast. Instead of eliminating wars, the 20th century produced wars as science and technology advanced at a rapid rate.

What kind of society would we have produced in the 20th century if we hadn’t placed so much of our energy and resources into fighting wars? Would we have found a cure for cancer or birth defects or our social problems?

God has a plan for his creation and for you in particular.

If you go to war against Him and waste your energy and resources, you will also miss out on the good things that God wants you to have. The secret to a great society, or a great life, is to be at peace with God.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 NIV).

July 27 – Ladder To Victory

by Dr Ron Stewart

Today is the birthday of Leo Durocher, the major league baseball player and manager who coined the phrase, “Nice guys finish last.”

Many people believe he’s right. They believe that if you want to finish first and win, you have to be tougher, meaner, and more ruthless than the other guy. Maybe that’s why there’s so much more violence in our society than there used to be. We are all trying to finish first at any cost.

No matter what their religious beliefs, most people would agree that Jesus was a nice guy, based on his life’s work. He gave food to the needy, healed the sick, comforted the suffering, and told people to love their enemies. Being nice helped put Him on the cross, but the cross didn’t mean He finished last. The cross was his ladder to victory, and it is your ladder to victory.

It was through his death on the cross that you have the opportunity to finish first, not just in this life, but also for all eternity. We all finish first when we follow Jesus. “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30 NIV).

❖ Follow in Jesus’ footsteps today and do some unexpected good deeds in your neighborhood. Take some non-perishable food to a local food pantry, take some cut flowers to an elderly friend, invite a new neighbor to go with you to church, or tell someone how they can know Jesus as their personal Savior.

July 26 – When Change Is Growth

by Dr Ron Stewart

On this day in 1959, Fidel Castro and his communist forces gained control of Cuba.

Perhaps you haven’t been to Cuba, but people who have been there tell of widespread poverty and suffering. Commu­nism has proven to be a failure, but Cuba refuses to let go of it. Rather than change, the Cuban government is apparently willing to allow its people to continue to suffer rather than admit that their form of government does not work.

Change is hard for all of us, and we often resist it vigor­ously. Yet many times, change is necessary and brings with it wonderful new opportunities. Many times in life we must change or else risk moving backward.

What area in your life is calling for a change today? Someone has said that we will only change when we hurt enough that we have to or we learn enough that we want to or we receive enough that we are able to.

When change is successful, we look back on it and call it growth.

When you reach a crossroads in life and begin experienc­ing the pain of change, turn to the Bible and pray for guid­ance. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).